Method of making cylinder liner sleeves



Jan. 28, 1947. A. T. COLWELL ETAL 2,414,931

METHOD OF MAKING CYLINDER LINER SLEEVES Original Filed March 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l A /5 7 Cum/a1. /6 @797" fijrjai/w/wv I Jan. 28, 1947. A.- T. COL WELL ET AL 2,414,931

I METHOD OF MAKING CYLINDER LINER SLEEVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 20, 1939 CHIP T Calm-L1.

[R7 [NGEMA/VN Patented Jan. 28, 1947 METHOD OF MAKING CYLINDER LINER.

SLEEVES Archie T. Colwell and Herbert H. Engemann,

Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to Thompson Products, Inc., acorporation of Ohio Original application March 20, 1939, Serial No. 262,918. Divided and this application October 25, 1941, Serial No. 416,448

2 Claims. 1

This invention, which is a division of the subject matter of our co-pending application entitled Cylinder liner sleeve, Serial No. 262,918, filed March 20, 1939, now Patent No. 2,283,424, dated May 19, 1942, relates to cleft or split liners for engine cylinders, tappets, valve stems, shafts, bearings and the like.

More specifically the invention relates to split metal liner sleeves adapted to be contracted to a size less than the desired size without overlapping the adjoining edges thereof so as to facilitate insertion in a member to be lined thereby and exerting, in its contracted state, an expanding force tending to reclaim its original size.

The liners of this invention will hereinafter be specifically described in connection with liner sleeves for engine cylinders, but it should be understood that the invention is not limited to such use.

The known split liner sleeves are formed for press-fitting into a cylinder so that they will lay firmly against the wall of the cylinder. The press fit i's depended upon to provide the force to lay the split liner firmly against the cylinder wall and the liner is therefore placed in a stressed condition. Furthermore the press fit will tend to distort the cylinder because of tension forces set up in the walls defining the-cylinder.

Special tools are required for installation and for removal of the press fit type split liners and great care must be taken so that the mating edges of the liners come together in exact alignment as they enter the cylinder.

Close manufacturing limits are required to obtain an accurate press fit and, even after such limits are rigorously adhered to, a honing or polishing operation is required after the liner has been press-fitted into the cylinder for removal of remaining defects caused by distortion and the inability of the press fit to effect a complete conformity between the liner and the cylinder.

According to this invention, press fits are entirely dispensed with by accurate preforming of a resilient cleft liner sleeve having a greater outside diameter in its free state than the diameter of the cylinder to be linedtherewith. The liners of this invention are resilient or springy and, in their free state, are non-circular and have an appreciable cleft gap. This gap is adapted to be closed by contraction of the liner sleeve to decrease the outside of the sleeve to a diameter less than the diameter of the cylinder to be lined therewith without, however, overlapping the gapdefining edges of the sleeve. In its contracted state, the sleeve exerts an expanding force tending to reclaim the original cleft gap and, in this fully contracted state, the sleeve is readily insertable into the cylinder.

The free insertion of the completely contracted liner sleeve avoids the necessity for any special insertion and removing tools. The seated liner in the cylinder has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter assumed in its fully contracted condition. The seated liner has a very small cleft gap when seated in the cylinder whereas the press fitted liner sleeve must have the adjoining edges thereof in tight, abutting relation.

The very small gaps in the seated liner sleeves of this invention vary within appreciable limits Without affecting the cylindrical roundness of the new liner and the liners of this invention are therefore less costly to manufacture than the conventional split liners, wherein the circumferential dimensions had to be held within small limits.

The liners of this invention are formed by bending a fiat metal sheet into a resilient, cylindrically shaped body member having a comparatively wide cleft gap throughout its length. The body member is then inserted in a fixture having the same diameter as the cylinder to be lined therewith. The liner in the fixture is honed to a uniform inside diameter of the desired size. The cylindrical body member may be heat-treated prior to honing if desired.

It is, then, an object of this invention to provide a method of making a split liner contractable to a size less than operating size for free insertion into a cylinder and exerting an expanding force in its contracted state.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of making an elongated liner sleeve having a cleft gap throughout its length and 1 adapted to be resiliently contracted to vary the size of the gap Without overlapping the gap defining edges.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of making a split liner sleeve for engine cylinders which is freely insertable into a cylinder without special tools.

Another object of the invention is to increase the manufacturing tolerance required for split linersleeves by providing an expansible and contractable resilient liner having a cleft gap throughout its length.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate heretofore required sizing of liner sleeves after the same have been seated in operating position.

A further object of the invention is to provide .a method of making resiliently expansible cleft liners, which method avoids the necessity for 3 honing the liners after the same have been seated in operating position.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from th following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which disclose preferred embodiments of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of flat metal sheets from which the liners of this invention are formed. I

Figure 2 is an end elevational 'v'iew illustrating the forming of a cylindrical body member from a flat sheet shown in Figure 1. a

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cylindrical body member shown in Figure 2 seated in honing fixture and also showing a honing tool in elevation,

Figure 3a is a fragmentary view of an edge of the cylindrical body member having identifying indicia thereon.

Figure 4 is a side elevational View of a cleft liner sleeve accordin to this invention.

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the liner sleeve shown in Figure 4 illustrating, in dotted lines; the form of the sleeve in a fully contracted state. 7

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a liner sleeve and engine block illustrating the method of inserting the liner in the cylindrical bore of the -block.

Figure '7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an engine block and liner sleeve showing the sleeve seated in operative position in the cylindrical bore of the block.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of fiat metal sheets for forming a modified liner sleeve according to this invention.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a cylindrical body member formed from a sheet shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of a liner sleeve formed from the body member shown in Figure 9.

Figure 10a is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the liner sleeve shown in Figure 10, illustrating identifying indicia on the sleeve.

Figure 11 is a vertical cross-sectional View illustrating the liner sleeve of Figure 10 seated in operative position in n engine cylinder.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1 the reference numeral l0 designates a strip of metal from which rectangular sheets H are cut.' The sheet II is cut to proper dimensions so that when the same is bent around a cylindrical mandrel l2 as shown in Figure 2, a cylindrical body member !3 of th desired size is formed. The body member 43 preferably has the ends thereof in substantially abutting relation as shown at 13a.

The resulting cylindrical body member I3 is springy and, when removed from the mandrel l2, will open up a gap between the adjoining edges [3a. The cylindrical member in its free state does not define a true circular cylinder but will assume a true circular cylindrical form when contracted to bring the edges thereof into substantially abutting relation.

The body member J3 can be formed from any suitable metal such as steel, Nitralloy, or the like, and, for economyreasons, is of relatively thin gauge. However, heavy gauge material can be usedif desired. M p

After the bending operation the body member 4 l3 can be heat-treated. A nitriding treatment can be used to harden the steel.

The body member [3 is then inserted in the cylindrical bore 15a of a fixture l5. The bore l5a has the same diameter as a cylinder to be lined by the body member. The bore l5a is somewhat larger than the outside diameter of the body member l3 when the body member is in its fully contracted position so that a gap I4 is formed throughout the length of the body member after it is seated in the fixture. This gap l4 preferably is of a small width but is desirable to permit free removal and entry of the body member in the fixture.

The fixture l5 has a shoulder I6 in spaced relation from the top thereof for supporting the body member 53 therein.

A honing tool I7 is suspended on a shaft 11a in the body member I3. The honing tool I! has a plurality of honing stones [8 or other cutting or grinding means thereon and is rotated by means of a chuck IS.

The inside surface of the body member I3 is honed until it has a rigorously uniform desired diameter.

As shown in Figure 3a, an end A of the body member [3 can be marked with the outside and inside diameter dimensions of the member when it is contracted to a true circular cylindrical form as in the fixture 15. Thus the end A can indicate that the outside diameter or O. D. of the contracted body member is 3.15 inches while the inside diameter or I. D. of the body member is 3.00 inches.

After the honing operation of the body member [3 is removed from the fixture 5 to form the finished liner 2!) shown in Figures 4 and 5. As shown, the liner has a wide cleft gap 2! throughout its length when it is in its free or uncontracted state.

As best shown in Figure 5, the free liner 20 illustrated in solid lines, can be fully contracted as shown in dotted lines and the gap 2i will be closed as shown at 22.

In Figure 6 there is illustrated a method of insertingthe liner sleeve 20 into the bore 23 of an engine block 24. As shown in Figure 6, the sleeve 20 is contracted to bring the gap defining edges into abutting position as shown at 22. In this fully contracted state, the liner 29 is of smaller diameter than the diameter of the bore 23 so that a small clearance 25, which is exaggerated on the drawings, is provided between the outside of the liner and the walls defining the bore 23.

The liner Zil can be contracted to provide this small clearance by means of a clamping ring or by hand, if desired. This permits a free insertion of the liner into the bore of the cylinder block 24.

As shown in Figure '7, the fully seated liner 20* in the cylinder block 24 expands outwardly from its fully contracted state to reclaim the original gap l4 formed in the fixture I5. This gap I4 is of materially less width than the gap 2! of the 65 free liner as shown in Figures 4 and 5 so that the liner will exert an expanding force against the walls of the bore 23.

The bore 23 preferably has a shoulder 25 therein supporting the bottom of the liner 29. A head 70 21 is clamped on the cylinder block 24 and a gasket 28 is interposed between the head and the cylinder block.

The seated liner 20 in the bore 23 has the same identical dimensions as are stamped at A on the 75 body member in the fixture. Thus, while the ill liner in its free state or in its fully contracted state is of a materially different size from the size indicated thereon, the indicated size is assumed when the liner is seated for operation. The honing operation in the fixture has provided a rigorously uniform inner circular wall of the desired diameter and the seated liner does not need to be further honed or otherwise machined.

The small gap M can vary through an appreciable range to correct any irregularities in the bore 23 and, since the liner does not have a press fit in the bore, it will not distort from its true circular cylindrical shape. The gap I4 is preferably maintained at a minimum but must be sufiicient to avoid a press fit in the bore 23.

As shown in Figure 8, the reference numeral 3!] designates a strip of metal from which fiat metal sheets such as 3i are out. These fiat metal sheets have sloping side edges so that when the same are bent around a cylindrical mandrel to form the cylindrical body member 32 shown in Figure 9, this body member will have a slanting cleft gap 33.

As shown in Figure 10, an outturned flange or collar 34 is formed on one end of the body member 32. The flanged body member can be heat treated if desired and is then inserted in a fixture such as l5 for the honing operation to form the finished liner sleeve 35.

A portion B of the collar or flange 34 can be marked with size indicating data as shown in Figure a.

The liner is inserted in the bore 36 of an engine block 31 as shown in Figure 11 while the collar 34 is seated in a counterbore 36a of the bore 36.

In its seated position, the liner sleeve 35 has a helical cleft gap 38 throughout its length of less width than the gap 33 so that the liner will exert an expanding force tending to reclaim the gap 33. The gap 38 is maintained at a minimum consistent with a free insertion of the liner in the bore 36 without overlapping the gap-defining edges. Thus the liner can be contracted by hand or by a clamping ring to fully close the gap 313 when inserting the liner into the bore 36. This permits an easy insertion of the liner into its seating position.

The flange 34 is clamped between thecylinder head 39 and the cylinder block 31 as shown in Figure 11. A gasket 40 is compressed between the block and head.

From the above description it should be understood that this invention provides cleft or split liners that do not assume a true circular cylindrical form in their free state but are contractable into a perfect circular cylinder when seated in a prepared hole or bore for which they are intended. In their seated position, the liners of this invention have a minimum gap between their adjoining edges but this gap is sufiicient to permit a further contraction of the liner for facilitating entry and removal of the liner from the bore or hole. Press fits, with their attendant disadvantages, are entirely dispensed with.

The liner sleeves of this invention are stamped with size identifying data indicating the outside diameter and the inside diameter of the sleeves when seated in proper operating condition. The sleeves in their free state do not have the size indicated thereon.

We claim as our invention:

1. The method of forming cleft liner sleeves which comprises bending a sheet of metal around a circular cylindrical mandrel to form a cylindrical body member, stripping the body member from the mandrel, heat-treating the body member to form a non-circular resilient member having a wide cleft gap throughout its length, contracting the heat-treated member to close said gap, inserting the contracted member in a circular cylindrical fixture having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the fully contracted body member, allowing the body member to expand in the fixture to form a truecircular cylinder therein having a cleft gap substantially less than the gap of the body member in its free state, and honing out irregularities from the inside surface of the seated body member.

2. The method of making cleft liner sleeves which comprises cutting a rectangular sheet from a strip of metal, bending the rectan'gular sheet around a circular cylindrical mandrel to form a cylindrically-shaped body member with the ends of the sheet in substantially abutting relation, removing the body member from the mandrel, opening up a cleft gap between the edges of the body member without removing metal from the member, heat-treating the body member with the cleft gap therein to form a noncircular resilient member having a wide cleft gap throughout its length, contracting the heattreated member to close the gap, inserting the contracted body member in a true circular cylindrical bore of a fixture having a diameter greater than the diameter of the fully contracted body member but less than the diameter of the body member in its free state, allowing the contracted body member to resiliently expand in the fixture to reclaim only a part of its original cleft gap, and honing the inside surface of the thus seated body member to true circular form of desired diameter.

ARCHIE T. COLWELL. HERBERT H. ENGEMANN. 

